Folding canopy for vehicle bodies



J. E. sERsT FOLDING CANOPY FOR VEHICLE BODIES Original Filed March 21,1922 1 M Q m mw m am mm am W 1 o km W M mu 0 o 1 o o 1 H w W mm 2 3 w m2 WW JP Patented J an. 20, 1925.

J .AGQUES EG-IDE SERSTE, 0F LAEKEN-BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

FOLDING CANOPY FOB VEHICLE BODIES.

Original application filed. March 21, 1922, Serial No. 545,554. Dividedand this application filed. February 7, 1923. Serial No. 617,604.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that JAo UEs Eomn Srinsrii, subject of the King of theBelgians, residing at No. 83 Rue de \Vautier, Laeken- Brussels, Belgium,has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Canopies forVehicle Bodies of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has reference to a folding canopy or hoodstructure for allweather vehicle bodies, and more particularly forvehicle bodies of the kind disclosed in my co-pending patent applicationSer. No. 545,554, dated March 21st, 1922, of which the presentapplication is a division.

It is the object of my present invention so to construct the foldingframe of the canopy as to materially reduce the size of the projectionformed rearwardly of the vehicle by the folded canopy. It isparticularly desirable to reduce such projection in vehicle bodiesaccording to my copending application aforesaid, in which the windowframes extend rearwardly of the rear doors, the pivotal connectionbetween i the vehicle body and the folding frame then being located nearthe rear edge of the body, so that the rear portion of the body does notafford a proper support for the canopy when folded.

In accordance with my present invention I overcome this difficulty bypivoting the main hoop of the canopy to a pair of supporting memberswhich in turn are pivoted to the vehicle body, and I provide between themain hoop and the vehicle body an additional connection whereby thehinged supporting members are constrained to carry forward the pivot onwhich the main hoop is caused to swing when the canopy is being folded.It follows that, while the canopy is being folded, the pivot on which itswings is automatically brought forward a distance corresponding to thelength of the supporting members so that the portion of the foldedcanopy that comes to rest on the vehicle body is increased by twice thatlength, while the length of the unsupported projecting portion isreduced accordingly.

In the accompanying drawing which shows by way of example an embodimentof this invention:

Figs. 1 and 2 are side elevations respectively showing the canopy openedout and folded up.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views on a larger scale,

Referring toFig. 1, I have shown at 1 a motor car body having doors 2and 3 and adapted to be fitted with window frames comprising each fourhinged panels. The canopy, the flexible cover of which is indicated onFig. 1 by the dotted line 4, comprises as usual a main hoop 5, asuitable number of smaller hoops 6, 7 and two longitudinal side memberscomposed each of a plurality of bars or sections 8, 9. 10 hinged to eachother as at 11 and 12. In front the bars or sections 8 areinterconnected by a cross-piece 33 adapted to be secured in a knownmanner to the frame 13 of the windshield when the canopy is extended.

The front hoop 6 is connected on each side to the sections 8 and 9 bymeans of pivoted rods 14, 15 which form hinged parallelograms with thesaid sections. In the extended position (Fig. 1), the hoop 6 rests onthe oints 11 which may be locked against breaking by suitable clamps 16.The second hoop 7 is rigidly secured to the sections 10. To each section10 are pivoted two arms 17, 18 each of which is pivoted at an intermediate point of its length to the main hoop 5. The arms 17 and 18 andtheir pivotal connections 19, 20 to the main hoop 5 are shown on anenlarged scale in Figs. 3 and 4 respectively.

The arm 17 is pivoted at 22 to a short link 21 which in turn is pivotedat 23 to the rear of the vehicle body 1, the arm 17 and link 21 forminga toggle which can only be broken by a rearward movement of the pivot22. The free end of the arm 18 is provided with a laterally extendingpin 24 which, when the canopy is being folded, catches and appliesagainst the main hoop 5 a small auxiliary hoop 25 pivoted to the mainhoop at 26. The lower ends of the main hoop 5 are pivoted at 27 to twosupporting members 28 pivoted each to an axis 29 mounted in a verticalslot- 31 in one of the side walls of the vehicle body. As shown in Fig.1 the rear portion of each side wall acts as a stop to prevent themembers 28 swinging rearwardly. Said membore 28 are preferably providedwith forwardly extending projections 32 adapted to close the openings ofthe slots 31 when the members 28 are in an upright position.

.12 then breaking, the sections 8 To close up the canopy the clamps 16are first removed then the sections 8 are raised and pushed towards theback of the carriage. As a result of this movement thejoints 11 arefirst caused to break, the sections 8 and 9 closing up 011 each otherand embracing-the hoop 6 which is pushed outwardly by. the rods 14: and15; The joints and 9, with the hoop 6 between them, will fold up againstthe sections 10 which, in turn, will be guided by the arms 17, 18 sothat they come to lie against the main hoop 5 while the latter is swungback about the pivot 27.

Meanwhile the rearward bending of the toggle 17, 21 has forced the pivot27 to move forward to the position shown in Fig. In the course of thedownward movement of the main hoop 5, the small hoop 25 has been caughtby the pin 24; and applied against the hoop 5.

It will be seen from Fig. 2 that the forward movement of the pivot 27results in reducing'by a. length equal to twice the distance between thepivots 27 and 29 the projection formed at the rear of the car by thefolded up canopy, and in correspondingly increasing the portion thereoflying on the car body. This projection may also advantageously bereduced in height by terminating the rear wall of the body at a level 80below the edge of the side walls of the body. In the structure shown theheight of the projection above the body is thus reduced by a lengthequal to the thickness of the main hoop 5.

I claim:

1. In combination with a vehicle body, a

' folding canopy comprising a main hoop, a

pair of supporting members pivoted each to said body and to one end ofsaid hoop, said supporting members being each mounted in a slot in aside wall of said body, the rear walls of said slots forming each a stopfor preventing one of said supporting members from swinging rearwardly,forwardly extending projections on said supporting members adapted toclose the openings of said slots, and links pivoted to said hoop and tosaid body respectively, said links forming a toggle whereby saidsupporting members are forced to swing forwardly when said hoop is swungrearwardly.

2. In combination with the side walls of a vehicle body, a foldingcanopy comprising a main hoop, a pair of (to-axial horizontal pivotsextending across vertical slots in said side walls, a pair of supportingmembers in said slots adapted to swing about said pivots and pivotallyconnected to the ends of said hoop, forwardly extending projections onsaid supporting members adapted to close the openings of said slots, anda pair of tog les comprising each two links pivoted respectively to oneside of said hoop and to a side wall of said body, said side walls beingcut away rcarwardl of said supporting members to aceon'nnodate saidhoop.

3. In combination with a vehicle body, a folding canopy comprising amain hoop, a pair of supporting members pivoted each to said body and toone end of said hoop, longitudinal side members composed of a pluralityof hinged sections, an auxiliary hoop pivoted to the sides of said mainhoop, two arms pivoted at an intermediate. point of their length to oneside of said main hoop, both said arms being plvoted at one endto onesection of one of said side members, a link pivoted to the other end ofone said side arms and to said vehicle body, and a pin on the free endof the other of said arms adapted to apply said auxiliary hoop againstsaid main hoop when the canopy is being folded.

JACQUES EGIDE snarrri.

